Reno Community College: More Time, Money Needed To Meet New Tesla Plant's Employment Demand

The Tesla battery plant being built east of Reno will employ 6,000 manufacturing workers.

But the state doesn’t have that much skilled labor right now. To meet the anticipated demand, one community college has begun recruiting high school students.

Tesla electric car battery manufacturing will use Computer Numerical Control Machines. At Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, four middle-aged men are learning to use them now to make precision parts.

To meet the anticipated demand for skilled operators, the college will triple the number of high school students in the training program. Next year there will be 60.

But Jim New, Dean of Technical Sciences says that still won’t be enough. The program needs a total of 350 students who will require more equipment, instructors, space, and $20 million to pay for it all.

“I don’t believe that I will be able to be able to round up the resources simply by going to the state with my hand out to get them. We will have to keep our eyes out for other resources such as Federal grants.”

Funding to expand the program for high school students came from a U.S. Department of Labor grant.